Cross slide



April 14, 1953 I A. H. JOBERT CROSS SLIDE Filed March 18, 1947 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ART/1w? H. JflBE/QT AORNEYS Aprfl 14, 1953 A. H.JOBERT 2,634,645

' CROSS SLIDE Filed March 18, 1947 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AETHUE H.M05597 Apnii l4, 195 A. H. JOBERT 2,634,645

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Filed March 18, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet s HIHHP IIIH INVENTOR ARTHUR H. JOKERT Al IORNEYS Patented Apr. 14, 1953 CROSS SLIDE Arthur H. Jobert, NewBritain, Conn, assignor to The New Britain Machine Company, New Britain,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 18, 1947, SerialNo. 735,370

8 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved tool slide for an automatic spindlemachine and, in particular, for an indexing type of multiple-spindlemachine.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved tool slide of thecharacter indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved cross-slide arrangement fora multiple-spindle machine, in which arrangement a plurality of crossslides may be carried in a single assembly for operating on worksupported in a plurality of spindles.

It is a further object to provide improved means for supporting and fordetermining the limiting feed positions of a side-working tool for useon a multiple spindle machine.

It is also an object to provide an improved means for supporting and fordetermining limiting feed positions of a plurality of side-working toolsfor cooperation with a corresponding plurality of the spindles in anindexing type of multiple-spindle machine.

Still another object is to provide an improved tool holder andtool-feeding mechanism there for, whereby a given tool may be advancedto the same relative desired position for working the stock carried byany spindle of a multiple-spindle machine.

Other objects and various further features of the invention will bepointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading ofthe following specification in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view in partial section of a crossslide assemblyaccording to the invention, shown mounted for cooperation with aplurality of the spindles of a multiple-spindle machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in partia'l section, the sectionbeing taken substantially in the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is another enlarged sectional view, but taken substantially inthe plane 3'3 of Fig. 1.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates an improved cross-slideassembly for use in an indexing type of multiple-spindle machine. Viewedin one sense, the invention provides a complete cross-slide unitsupporting a plurality of crossslides and feed mechanisms for saidcross-slides; The slides are preferably cylindrical and are received incylindrical bores in the assembly. The

arrangement for supporting a'tool at the toolcarrying. and of the slideis preferably such that the direction of feed is generally radial withrespect to the spindle-carrier axis, and the cutting edge of the tool issubstantially in line with the tool-slide displacement axis.

Viewed in another aspect, the invention provides novel means fordetermining a limiting feed position of a tool slide for use on amultiplespindle machine. It is a fact that no matter how carefully thespindles of a multiple-spindle machine, or for that matter the workingpositions of any automatic indexing machine, may have been located,there may be sufficient error in their placement to cause a particulartool to produce different depths of cut upon stock supported indifferent spindles. By means of an indexible stop the invention providesfor the employment of different calibrated abutments for variouslylimiting the feed of the tool slide, depending upon the spindle withwhich such tool slide is cooperating. In the novel unit-cross-slideassembly of the invention, it is possible to employ a single stop memberto cooperate with two cross-slides for appropriately limiting the feedpositions of each cross slide in accordance with the particular spindlelocations with which said cross slides may be cooperating.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is shown in application to amultiple-spindle machine having a plurality of spindles II), II, l2supported on a spindle carrier I3 which is indexible about a centralaxis I4. End-working tools for performing chamfering, recessing, boring,and other end operations upon work supported in spindles I0, I I, I2 maybe mounted upon a so-called Gridley-type tool slide I5, which in turn issupported upon a central arbor or stem I6.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, a unitary structure I'Icarrying a battery of cross slides I8I9 may be assembled as a unit andremovably secured as by bolts and screws 20-'-.2I to the frame 22 of themachine. The cross slides iii-49 are supported for sliding displacementpreferably generally radially of the central axis 44 of the spindlecarrier I3. Tool slides I8--I9 are preferably generally cylindrical andmaybe supported at both ends by suitable bushings 23-24 pressed into orcarried by appropriately bored portions of the frame member 25 of thecross-slide assembly I].

To maintain angular alignment of the tool slide I3 there may be alongitudinally slidable key-and-slot engagement between the tool slideit and the frame member 25. In the form shown, the tool slide I8 ismilled with a longitudinally extending slot 26 having tapered walls 21,for engagement with correspondingly tapered flats '28 on stud keys 29carried by the frame member 25. The tightness of fit between the studkeys 29 and the walls of the slot 26 may be adjusted by means of a pinmember 39 extending transversely of the keys 28 and having a conical tip3| to engage a transversely extending conical bore 32 in the key 29. Theshank of the pin 38 may be threadedly engageable with the frame member25, and a lock nut 33 serves to secure an adjusted position of the same.It will be clear that upon an advance of the pin 38 the key 29 will becammed into tighter engagement with the tool slide I8 and that upon aretraction of the pin 30 this engagement will be relaxed. To preventchips from entering the slot 25, I prefer that slot 26 should not extendthe full length of the tool slide I8 but that it terminate (see dottedline in Fig. 1) sufliciently back of the tool-carrying end thereof topermit full strokes of thetool slide I8 without exposing slot 26 nearthe cutting or working area. I r

I prefer that the tool slides I3I9 be fed, particularly during thecutting portion of the feed cycle, by means applying feed forces asclose as possible to the axes of the tool slides themselves. In the formshown, these feed forces are applied within the diametral limits of thetool slides and through the medium of a carrier piece 34, which may beformed with a generally T- shaped section fitting in a longitudinallyextending T-slot 35, which may be cored out of tool slide I8. Thecarrier member 34 is preferably rigidly connected to the tool slide I8,and the nature of this connection is preferably such that there may be arelative longitudinal adjustment of the carrier member 34 and of thetool slide I8.

To facilitate this longitudinal adjustment, the back end of the carriermember 34 may carry a bracket 36 having a transversely extending portion31 projecting beyond the peripheries of the tool slide I8. An adjustablescrew 38, carried by the bracket 38 and abutting the tool slide I8permits an initial setting of the relative longitudinal association ofcarrier member 34 and of tool slide I8. A tightening bolt 39 countersunkin the bracket 36 threadedly engages a tapered bore in the tool carrierI8 for securing the longitudinal adjustment made with the screw 38.

The carrier member 34 may be fed by a rollcarrying projection 40carrying a cam-follower roll 4| projecting through a slot 42 in thecrossslide housing member 25. The cam-follower roll 4| is shown to befed by a face cam having a feed element 43 and a drawback element 44,both of which are supported on a feed gear 45 ime mediately behind thetool slide I8.

In a similar manner, it will be understood that the cam-follower roll 48for the tool slide I9 may engage corresponding feed and drawbackelements supported by another feed gear 41. In the form shown, both feedgears 45 and 41 mesh, and one of them is directly driven from a gear 48on the main cam shaft 49 through an idler 59. It will be clear thatduring the continuous rotation'of the main cam shaft 49 the feedmechanisms for both'tool slides I8 and I9 may be effective to produceconcurrent feed and drawback strokes of both tool slides I 8I9. It willfurther be clear that on another side of the machine and, if desired,geared to the drive gear 48, there may be a similar feeding mechanismfor operating further tool slides to cooperate with spindle I2 and withother spindles of the machine.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, means are provided witheach tool-slide unit to assure that tools carried by each of the toolslides in the unit will be carried to a predetermined limiting feedposition (and no further), depending upon preadjustments made for eachindividual position. In accordance with this feature, a calibratedabutment is appropriately placed with each indexing of the spindlecarrier I3 so as to assure a properlimitation of the feed for the toolslide I8 working on a first spindle I8, and a proper limitation of thefeed for the tool slide I9, which may be simultaneously working on asecond spindle II. The same adjustable abutment or stop member may, ifdesired, serve a plurality. of tool slides, and this is the case in theform shown.

In the form shown, the adjustable abutment or stop member 5I carries aplurality of generally 'cir'cularly spaced abutment elements. The memberitself is supported on a pivot pin 52 journalled in the frame member 25of the cross-slide unit. Adjustment of the abutment or stop elements forany particular stop location involves essentially the adjustment of awedge, whereby different abutment members are limited or positioned byvariously thick parts of the wedge. In the form shown, this function isperformed by hav ing each stop comprise a fixed abutment 53 and adisplaceable abutment member 54. The fixed abutment member 53 is flushwith the base of the indexible stop 5| and may therefore always besupported by a relatively rigid or fixed face 55 of the cross-slideframe member 25. The wedge action that is utilized for adjustmentpurposes is, in the form shown, derived from tapered screws 56 set intapped, tapered, arcuate segments of the fixed and displaceable abutmentmembers 53-54. It will be understood that a threaded advance orretraction of the adjustable wedge element 55 will determine variouspositions of the displaceable abutment members 54. De pending upon theindexed position of the abutment or stop unit 5!, an abutment screw 51carried by the bracket extension 3'! (associated with the tool slide I8)will home upon one of the displaceable abutment members 54 and thuslimit the feed of the tool slide I8.

For successive indexing positions of the spindle carrier I3, I provide anovel mechanism for indexing the abutment or stop unit 5|, wherebyappropriate displaceable abutment members 54 willbe set in position tointercept the abutment screw 51 for limiting working feeds of the toolslide I 8. In the form shown, this indexing mechanism involves a ratchetmechanism 58 carrying a spring-urged pawl 59 for engagement with ratchetteeth 69' on the back side of the abutment unit 5|. The ratchetmechanism 58 may be actuated by a cam-follower roll GI and itssupporting arm 62, which may follow one' of the cam segments 63actuating one of the tool slides I8-I 8. It will be clear that, in theform shown, wherein the feed gear 41 for the tool slide I9 rotatescounterclockwise,'the ratchet mechanism 58 will be actuated after adrawback of both tool slides I8--I9, just prior to commencement of theirworking strokes.

It will be understood'thatif the bracket 64 carried at the end of thetool slide I9is provided with an abutment screw 65 similar to theabutment screw 5'! for tool slide I8, then the abutment screws 51-65 forboth tool slides I8I9 may be unit I show how the single abutment unit 51may provide the required sequence of calibrated stops. In the formshown, there are six spindles on the machine and two cross slides I8i 9to be served by the single abutment or stop unit 5!. The stop unit 5|therefore preferably carries twelve stops 54. By properly aligning theabutment members 576-5 with respect to the pivotal pin 52, every oddstop 5% may serve say the cross slide l8, and every even stop 54 mayserve the cross slide I9. Various type keepers may be devised forholding indexed positions of the stop unit 5|, particularly duringintervals of stop indexing, and, in the form shown, I provide aspring-detent mechanism 65 to cooperate with detent recesses 69 in thepivot pin 62.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, I provide meansbuilt into the crossslide unit I! for resisting (in the case of toolscarried by the cross slides l8--l9) tendencies of the tools to dive intothe work. This function may be performed by hydraulic, pneumatic, orother means normally urging tool carrier I8 in a retracting direction.In the form shown, I employ separate compressional springs 6869 for thispurpose. Each of the springs 68-69 may act between a part of the framemember 25 and a part of one of the brackets 3654 carried by a toolslide. In the form shown, the coil spring 68 is centered upon a locatingspindle Hi carried by the bracket 64 and extending into a bore in theframe member 25. The spring 68 homes or seats on the bottom of this boreand may be accurately located thereby, concentric with the locatingspindle or stud 1B.

In accordance with a still another feature of the invention, I providemeans whereby tools I l12 may be carried by the respective tool slidesl8l9 relatively close to the front ends of these tool slides and in sucha manner that the cutting edges are between the diametral limits of thetool slides and preferably close to the axes thereof. This arrangementclearly permits a maximum assumption of working thrusts by both thefront and rear bushings 23Z4 for supporting the tool slide, and servesto reduce tendencies toward chatter. By providing the noses of the crossslides l8l9 with transversely extending dovetail slots 13-14,considerable freedom may be permitted for final lateral adjustment ofthe tools II-12 with respect to the tool slide axes.

It will be clear that I have described a relatively simple unitarymechanism having features of extreme adaptability tomultiple-spindle-type indexing machines. The novel mechanism is suchthat accurate work may be similarly performed by a plurality of toolslides in the unit, and that this work may be of an accuracy that isrelatively independent of inaccuracies in spindle locations. In thepreferred form described, a spindle mechanism requiring no further camsor other actuators serves to determine limiting feed positions for aplurality of cross slides, and these cross slides may clearly becooperating with one or more of the spindles of the machine.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred formshown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within thescope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a cross-slide unit for application to amachine with an indexible multiple-spindle carrier, said slide unitincluding a base removably securable to the frame of the machine andhaving; two bores'inclined with respect to each other for inclinationgenerally-toward the axis of the spindle carrier; cylindrical slides insaid bores, an actuating member longitudinally slidable in each of saidcylindrical slides, a cam-follower projection on' each said actuatingmember, said projections being guided by slots alongside said bores, andprojecting for coaction with cam means-on the-machine, means adjustablysecuring said actuating membersto said cylindrical slides, and anadjustable stop for determining a limiting feed position of saidcylindrical slides.

2. As an article of manufacture, a cross-slide unit for application to amultiple-spindle machine in which the slide and the spindles are to beunidirectionally indexed relatively to each other, said slide unitincluding a base removably securable to the machine, tool-slide meansslidable in said base, rotatably indexible adjustable stop means with aplurality of stops severally and successively to determine a limitingsliding position of said tool-slide means, and unidirectional indexingmeans for said stop means and actuable upon a sliding movement of saidtool-slide means relatively to the base.

3. As an article of manufacture, a cross-slide unit for application to amultiple-spindle machine in which the slide and the spindles are to beunidirectionally indexed relatively to each other, said slide unitincluding a base removably securable to the machine, two cross-slidesslidable on said base for cooperation with two spindles on said machine,and rotatable unidirectionally indexible adjustable stop means with aplurality of stops severally and successively to determine limitingsliding positions of said cross slides.

4. An article according to claim 3, in which said stop means ispositioned between said slides, with a first plurality of independentlyadjustable stops to cooperate with one of said slides and with a secondplurality of independently adjustable stops to cooperate with the otherof said slides.

5. An article according to claim 4, in which said stop means is mountedfor indexed rotation about an index axis, and in which the stops of saidfirst plurality and of said second plurality are alternately disposedabout the index axis of said stop means.

6. As an article of manufacture, a tool stop for determining a limitingfeed position of a tool, said stop including a body having a slot near aside thereof to be abutted, a tapered thread on both sides of said slot,and a threaded tapered member engaging said tapered thread, whereby uponadjustment of said threaded member said side to be abutted may beadjustably deformed.

'7. As an article of manufacture, rotary indexible stop means fordetermining a limiting feed position of a tool holder and includingmounting means for indexed rotation of said stop means about an indexaxis, a plurality of pairs of adjacent projections angularly spacedabout said axis, and adjustable wedge means between adjacent projectionsof said pairs.

8. As an article of manufacture, rotatable indexible multiple-abutmentstop means to be indexed about an index axis, comprising a body integralwith a plurality of angularly spaced pairs of axially spaced radialprojections, one projection of each said pair including a substantiallyfiat circumferentially extending surface in a single radial seatingplane, whereby said surfaces may be seated uniformly regardless of theindex position, and independently adjustable wedges between theprojections of each said pair.

ARTHUR H. JOBERT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Bullard Oct. 1, 1901 Orbison Aug. 16, 1904 Chard Aug. 1, 1911Number Name Date Cone June 4, 1929 Biewend et a1. Oct. 1, 1929 TrobeckMar. 3, 1931 Smith et a1 Mar. 6, 1934 Cone Jan. 3, 1939' Drissner Jan.16, 1940 Montgomery Jan. 27, 1943 J obert et a1 June 27, 1944 HoneggerDec. 19, 1944 Miller et a1. May 24, 1949-

